Pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergent ingredient consisting of polycarbosylate and silicate

ABSTRACT

The invention relates to a pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient, to a process for its preparation and to its use.

The invention relates to a pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergentsingredient, to a process for its preparation and to its use.

Customary commercial detergents and cleaners include a large number ofingredients which perform a series of different functions. The qualityof such detergents and cleaners depends both on the nature and quantityof ingredients used and also on the manner and order in which theseingredients are added.

For example, the main components of modern textile detergents are, interalia, surfactants, bleaches, washing alkalis and builders. Accordingly,the main components of cleaning and dishwashing detergents arepredominantly builders, bleaches, alkalis, dispersants and enzymes.

An ideal builder for textile detergents performs a series of functionsand, for example, contributes considerably to water softening. Moreover,it should have a very high carrying capacity for liquid components andpermit adequate buffering of the wash liquor.

The builders hitherto used most frequently are sodium tripolyphosphate(NaTPP), the zeolites A and P and crystalline silicates such as, forexample, Na₂Si₂O₅ which is also called SKS-6.

Water softening (removal or binding of the calcium ions and/or magnesiumions which cause water hardness) is achieved in different ways with theaforementioned builders. For example, the sodium tripolyphosphatedissolves and, with the calcium ions and magnesium ions, forms solublecomplexes which do not interfere with the washing process.

On the other hand, the zeolites and also the phyllosilicates forminsoluble complexes with the calcium ions and magnesium ions. Thezeolites produce considerably larger quantities of insoluble complexes.These particles, which are in the form of solids in the wash liquor,have to be kept in suspension by additional detergent ingredients andmust not be deposited on the textile fiber. This also applies to other(solid) dirt particles and any precipitated constituents of waterhardness.

Cleaners for automatic dishwashing must also comprise components whichare able to keep the dissolved dirt in suspension and preventredeposition onto the ware.

Suitable additional detergent ingredients are the cobuilders which arealso called polyelectrolyte compounds. These include citric acid,nitrilotriacetic acid, homo- and copolymers of acrylic acid,polyaspartic acid and starch oxidation products. The above ingredientscan also be used in cleaners and dishwashing detergents.

Of particular interest are the polycarboxylates which are used aspolymers having a molecular weight of approximately 2000 to 100,000.They comprise various carboxylic acids and the corresponding monomers.In pulverulent textile detergents and also in dishwashing detergents,they are usually used in the form of their neutral sodium salts, as asolid or alternatively as an aqueous solution.

In common textile detergents, the quantities of builders are usuallyfrom 10 to 40% by weight and those of cobuilders usually from 1 to 10%by weight, based on the total amount of pulverulent textile detergent.For cleaners and dishwashing detergents, the quantities added are of asimilar order of magnitude.

Pulverulent textile detergents which include crystalline silicates asbuilder usually require smaller amounts of cobuilder than those whichinclude only zeolite A as builder. Zeolite A cannot, however, be used indishwashing detergents because of its insolubility, only solublecomponents being suitable here.

The quality and the mode of action of such a builder/cobuilder systemfor textile detergents can, for example, be measured using secondarydetergency. Secondary detergency indicates in particular to what extentsuch a builder/cobuilder system is able to prevent deposition onto thetextile fibers. To take the measurement the washed fabric is incineratedand the amount of ash is determined gravimetrically.

For dishwashing detergents, the mode of action of the abovebuilder/cobuilder systems can be ascertained quantitatively by visualinspection using a grading system for the resoiling of the ware.

In customary processes, the sodium polycarboxylates are introducedeither as an aqueous solution or in powder form during production of thewashing powder. The aqueous solution is sprayed onto the other soliddetergent components in order to obtain a completely flowable product.One component having particularly good absorption is the phyllosilicateSKS-6 from Hoechst AG, Frankfurt am Main, which is able to ensure goodflowability of the washing powder.

Although pure powder mixtures of SKS-6 and the sodium salt of apolycarboxylate have good washing performance properties, in some casesas good as the other builders sodium tripolyphosphate and zeolitealready mentioned at the start, the quality of such systems, mainly inrelation to secondary detergency, is still not satisfactory. Likewise,when such mixtures are used for dishwashing detergents there issometimes the disadvantage of limescale deposits as a result of lowsolubility of the SKS-6.

The object of the invention is therefore to provide a composition whichovercomes the aforementioned disadvantages and which provides excellentwashing and cleaning results, in particular as regards secondarydetergency.

This object is achieved by a pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergentsingredient which comprises a reaction product of an alkaline silicateand an acidic polycarboxylate.

The weight ratio of alkaline silicate to acidic polycarboxylate ispreferably (40 to 1):1.

The weight ratio of alkaline silicate to acidic polycarboxylate isparticularly preferably (20 to 2):1.

The acidic polycarboxylate used is preferably an unneutralized or onlypartially neutralized homo- and/or copolymer of acrylic acid,methacrylic acid, maleic acid, polyaspartic acid, saccharic acid and/orother monomers.

The pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient preferablycomprises from 50 to 98% by weight of an alkaline silicate and from 2 to50% by weight of a copolymer of from 10 to 70% by weight of maleic acid,from 20 to 85% by weight of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid, from 1to 50% by weight of vinyl acetate and from 0 to 10% by weight of othermonomers having a degree of neutralization of from 0 to 70%.

The alkaline silicate is preferably of the formula xM₂O ySiO₂ zH₂Ohaving a molar ratio of SiO₂ to M₂O of (1 to 3.5):1 where z=0 to 4 andM=Na and/or K, and may contain up to 1% by weight of other elementsand/or compounds.

The alkaline silicate is preferably an amorphous sodium silicate.

The alkaline silicate is particularly preferably a crystalline sodiumsilicate.

The alkaline silicate is particularly preferably a crystalline sodiumphyllosilicate.

The other elements and/or compounds are preferably aluminum, titanium,iron, calcium, magnesium and/or their compounds.

The above object is also achieved by a process for preparing apulverulent laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient which comprisesdepositing an acidic polycarboxylate solution onto an alkaline silicate.

From 2 to 60 parts by weight of acidic polycarboxylate solution arepreferably deposited onto 100 parts by weight of alkaline silicate.

From 10 to 40 parts by weight of acidic polycarboxylate solution areparticularly preferably deposited onto 100 parts by weight of alkalinesilicate.

The polycarboxylate solution used is preferably an unneutralized or onlypartially neutralized homo- and/or copolymer of acrylic acid,methacrylic acid, maleic acid, polyaspartic acid, saccharic acid and/orother monomers.

The acidic polycarboxylate solution is preferably deposited onto thealkaline silicate in a solids mixer which contains a liquid-sprayingdevice.

The reaction product of alkaline sodium silicate and acidicpolycarboxylate solution is preferably dried at temperatures of from 40to 150° C. for a period of from 5 to 120 minutes.

The invention also relates to the use of the pulverulent laundry andcleaning detergents ingredient according to the invention for preparingdetergents.

The pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient according tothe invention is preferably used for preparing detergents by the drymixing process.

The invention also relates to the use of the pulverulent laundry andcleaning detergents ingredient according to the invention for preparingcleaner compositions.

The pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient according tothe invention is preferably used for preparing cleaning detergentcompositions for cleaning hard surfaces.

The invention also relates to the use of the pulverulent laundry andcleaning detergents ingredient according to the invention for preparingdishwashing compositions.

The pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient according tothe invention is preferably used for preparing dishwashing compositionsfor automatic dishwashing.

Suitable polycarboxylates for preparing the pulverulent laundry andcleaning detergents ingredient according to the invention areunneutralized acid group-containing and/or partially neutralized acidgroup-containing polymers.

Such polymers include the homopolymers of acrylic acid and or ofmethacrylic acid and their copolymers having further ethylenicallyunsaturated monomers, such as, for example, acrolein, dimethylacrylicacid, ethylacrylic acid, vinylacetic acid, allylacetic acid, maleicacid, fumaric acid, itaconic acid, meth(allylsulfonic acid),vinylsulfonic acid, styrenesulfonic acid,acrylamidomethylpropanesulfonic acid, and monomers containing phosphoricacid groups, such as, for example, vinylphosphonic acid, allylphosphonicacid and acrylamidomethylpropanephosphonic acid and their salts, andhydroxyethyl(meth)acrylate sulfates, allylalcohol sulfates andallylalcohol phosphates.

The aforementioned polymers are described, for example, in DE-A-23 57036, DE-A-44 39 978, EP-A-0 075 820 or EP-A-0 451 508.

Polymers particularly suitable for the application according to theinvention are biodegradable terpolymers which can be obtained bypolymerization of

-   -   a) from 10 to 70% by weight of monoethylenically unsaturated        dicarboxylic acids having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms or their        salts    -   b) from 20 to 85% by weight of monoethylenically unsaturated        monocarboxylic acids having from 3 to 10 carbon atoms or their        salts    -   c) from 1 to 50% by weight of monounsaturated monomers which,        after saponification, release hydroxyl groups on the polymer        chain    -   d) from 0 to 10% by weight of other free-radically        copolymerizable monomers,        the sum of monomers in a) to d) being 100% by weight, in aqueous        solution, and saponification of the monomers in c). For the        application according to the invention, saponification is        preferably carried out in acid conditions. Products of the        aforementioned type are described in DE-A-43 00 772 and DE-A-195        16 957.

Polymers also suitable for the application according to the inventionare graft polymers of monosaccharides, oligosaccharides, polysaccharidesand modified polysaccharides, as described in DE-A-40 03 172 and DE-A-4415 623.

Graft polymers with proteins of animal and vegetable origin, inparticular also with modified proteins, which are described in EP-A-0457 025, are also well suited for the application according to theinvention.

From the group of graft copolymers, copolymers of sugar or otherpolyhydroxy compounds and a monomer mixture of the following compositionare preferably used:

-   -   a) from 45 to 96% by weight of monoethylenically unsaturated C₃        to C₁₀-monocarboxylic acid or mixtures of C₃ to        C₁₀-monocarboxylic acids and/or their salts having monovalent        cations    -   b) from 4 to 55% by weight of monoethylenically unsaturated        monomers containing monosulfonic acid groups, monoethylenically        unsaturated sulfuric acid esters, vinylphosphonic acid and/or        the salts of these acids having monovalent cations    -   c) from 0 to 30% by weight of water-soluble, mono-ethylenically        unsaturated compounds which are modified with from 2 to 50 mol        of alkylene oxide per mole of monoethylenically unsaturated        compound.

Such compounds are described in DE-A-42 21 381 and DE-A-43 43 993.

Other suitable polymers are polyaspartic acids and their derivatives inthe unneutralized or only partially neutralized form. Polyaspartic acidsusually exist in the form of their alkali metal salts or ammonium salts.As a result, the unneutralized or only partially neutralized productscan be obtained by the addition of corresponding amounts of organic orinorganic acids and, if necessary, removal of the resulting salts.

Such products can also be obtained by the thermal reaction of maleicacid and ammonia or by the condensation of aspartic acid and thesubsequent hydrolysis of the resulting polysuccinimide. The preparationof such products is described, for example, in DE-A-36 26 672, DE-A-4307 114, DE-A-44 27 287, EP-A-0 612 784, EP-A-0 644 257 and PCT/WO92/14753.

Particularly suitable graft polymers for preparing the pulverulentlaundry and cleaning detergents ingredient according to the inventionare graft polymers of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid andother ethylenically unsaturated monomers based on salts of polyasparticacid, as are usually produced during the hydrolysis of polysuccinimidedescribed previously. In this case, the acid which otherwise must beadded to prepare the only partially neutralized form of polyasparticacid is not required. The quantity of polyaspartate is usually chosensuch that the degree of neutralization of all carboxyl groupsincorporated in the polymer does not exceed 80%, preferably 60%.Products of the aforementioned type are described in more detail inPCT/WO 94/01486.

Preferred ranges for the previously described polymers are:

-   Mean molecular mass: 1000 to 100,000 g/mol, preferably 2000 to    70,000 g/mol and particularly preferably 2000 to 35,000 g/mol.-   Degree of neutralization of the acid groups: 0 to 90%, preferably 30    to 70%.-   Water content of the polymer solutions: 30 to 70% by weight,    preferably 40 to 60% by weight.-   Viscosity of the polymer solutions: less than 600 Pa·s at 20° C.

The pH of the polymer solution should be less than 5.5.

Preparation of the copolymers is described by the following examplesPolymer 1 to Polymer 5.

Polymer 1

150 g of maleic anhydride, 200 g of sodium hydroxide solution (50% byweight), 360 g of water and 0.01 g of ammonium iron sulfate (Mohr'ssalt) are introduced into a reactor fitted with stirrer, heating andcooling devices, distillation column, internal thermometer and meteringmeans, and are heated to 90° C. with stirring. At this temperature, theaddition of 275 g of acrylic acid in 200 g of water and 100 g of sodiumhydroxide solution (50% by weight) and of a second solution of 1.5 g ofsodium persulfate and 15 g of hydrogen peroxide (35% by weight) in 75 gof water is started simultaneously. The addition takes a total of 4hours. The mixture is stirred for a further hour, and then approximately350 g of water are distilled off, giving a slightly cloudy,high-viscosity solution having a dry substance content of approximately55% by weight, a pH of 5.0 and a Brookfield viscosity of 580 Pa·s at 20°C. The weight-average molar mass, determined by gel permeationchromatography, is 69,500 g/mol.

Polymer 2

230 g of maleic anhydride, 340 g of sodium hydroxide solution (50% byweight), 410 g of water and 0.3 g of ammonium iron sulfate (Mohr's salt)are introduced into the reactor described above and heated to 90° C.with stirring. At this temperature, the addition of a solution of 293 gof acrylic acid in 158 g of water and 130 g of sodium hydroxide solution(50% by weight) and of a second solution of 16 g of sodium persulfateand 135 g of hydrogen peroxide (35% by weight) in 83 g of water isstarted simultaneously. The addition takes a total of 4 hours. Themixture is stirred for a further hour, and then approximately 540 g ofwater are distilled off, giving a light brown, clear solution having adry substance content of approximately 55% by weight, a pH of 5.3 and aBrookfield viscosity of 4700 mPa·s at 20° C. The weight-average molarmass, determined by gel permeation chromatography, is 5500 g/mol.

Polymer 3

178 g of maleic anhydride, 240 g of sodium hydroxide solution (50% byweight), 360 g of water, 12 g of sodium methallylsulfonate and 0.01 g ofammonium iron sulfate (Mohr's salt) are introduced into the reactordescribed above and heated to 90° C. with stirring. At this temperature,the addition of 230 g of acrylic acid and 60 g of vinyl acetate in 75 gof water and 90 g of sodium hydroxide solution (50% by weight) and of asecond solution of 10 g of sodium persulfate and 80 g of hydrogenperoxide (35% by weight) in 75 g of water is started simultaneously. Theaddition takes a total of 4 hours. The mixture is stirred for a furtherhour under reflux, and then approximately 420 g of water are distilledoff, giving a viscous solution having a dry substance content ofapproximately 55% by weight, a pH of 4.8 and a Brookfield viscosity of55,000 mPa·s at 20° C. The weight-average molar mass, determined by gelpermeation chromatography, is 21,000 g/mol.

Polymer 4

88 g of maleic anhydride, 130 g of sodium hydroxide solution (50% byweight), 0.01 g of ammonium iron sulfate (Mohr's salt) and 450 g of a25% by weight solution of the sodium salt of polyaspartic acid having amean molecular weight of 12,000 g/mol are introduced into the reactordescribed above and heated to 90° C. with stirring. At this temperature,the addition of a solution of 205 g of acrylic acid, 150 g of water and90 g of sodium hydroxide solution (50% by weight) and of a secondsolution of 5 g of sodium persulfate and 10 g of hydrogen peroxide (35%by weight) in 75 g of water is started simultaneously. The additiontakes a total of 4 hours. The mixture is stirred for a further hour, andthen approximately 300 g of water are distilled off, giving a viscous,brown product having a dry substance content of approximately 55% byweight, a pH of 5.0 and a Brookfield viscosity of 84,000 mPa·s at 20° C.The weight-average molar mass, determined by gel permeationchromatography, is 60,000 g/mol.

Polymer 5

200 g of water, 80 g of acrylic acid, 60 g of sucrose and 20 g of sodiummethallylsulfonate are introduced into the reactor described above andneutralized at 20° C. with 16 g of sodium hydroxide solution (50% byweight). Polymerization is initiated at 20 to 25° C. by the addition of5 g of mercaptoethanol, 0.01 g of ammonium iron sulfate (Mohr's salt)and 1.6 g of hydrogen peroxide (30% by weight). The mixture heats up toapproximately 80 to 90° C. Stirring is continued for a further 30minutes at 75-85° C., and then 4 g of sodium peroxodisulfate and 4 g ofsodium disulfite are added to the reaction mixture. Stirring iscontinued for a further 90 minutes, and water is then distilled offunder reduced pressure until a solids content of approximately 55% byweight has been achieved. The clear polymer solution has a pH of 3.7 anda Brookfield viscosity of 190 mPa·s at 20° C. The weight-averagemolecular mass, determined by gel permeation chromatography, is 2400g/mol.

The following Examples 1 to 8 describe the preparation of thepulverulent laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient according to theinvention and its use.

EXAMPLES 1 TO 3

In each case, 2 kg of SKS-6 powder are sprayed with an aqueous solutionof polymer 3 in a Lödige plowshare mixer. The quantities used are givenin Table 1. Powders which can be granulated to a high degree areproduced, which become slightly tacky as the amount of polymerincreases. The powders are dried in a fluidized bed at 120° C. for 10minutes.

This drying significantly improves the flowability of the powders, ascan be seen from the flow factor in Table 1.

Compared to SKS-6, the powders have a clearly reduced alkalinity, as isevident from FIG. 1 which plots reserve alkalinity (titration curve of 2g of product in each case with 1N of HCl). The reserve alkalinityindicates how much acid is needed to lower a substance to a certain pHabove 5.

TABLE 1 Preparation of the laundry and cleaning detergents ingredientaccording to the invention using 2 kg of SKS-6 powder in each case Afterdrying % active Amount of polycarboxylate pH of damp substance ofFlowability** Example solution component* % H₂O cobuilder damp dried 1222 11.66 3.5 5.6 15 23 2 500 11.59 5.5 11.5 11 28 3 1140 11.4 8 22 11270 *measured as 0.1% solution **Flowability: the flow factor (FFC)according to Jenike is determined by shear force measurement and is ameasure of the flowability of a powder. The reference values are: <1:solidified, 1-2: nonflowing, 2-4: cohesive, 4-10: readily flowable, >10freely flowable.

EXAMPLES 4 AND 5 Comparison

Two textile detergents in powder form are prepared in a Lödige plowsharemixer, the components being added in the order given in Table 2.

EXAMPLES 6 AND 7 According to the Invention

Pulverulent textile detergents are prepared as in Examples 4 and 5, butreplacing pure SKS-6 with a mixture of SKS-6 and the pulverulent laundryand cleaning detergents ingredient SKS-6/polycarboxylate according toExample 3. In terms of overall composition, Examples 4 and 6 on the onehand and 5 and 7 on the other are identical and are therefore placednext to one another (Table 2).

TABLE 2 Compositions according to Examples 4 to 7 % content IngredientExample 4 Example 6 Example 5 Example 7 SKS-6 40 27.3 20 7.3 Zeolite A —— 25 25 Component from — 18.15 — 18.15 Example 3 Sodium polycarboxylate*4 — 4 — LAS 9 9 9 9 Nonionic 8 8 8 8 Sodium percarbonate 20 20 20 20TAED 5 5 5 5 Enzymes 2 2 2 2 Antifoam 1 1 1 1 Sodium sulfate 11 9.55 64.55 pH** 10.9 10.9 10.4 10.3 *Commercial product (“W74454”) fromStockhausen (dried, pulverulent) **at 5 g/l of washing powder and 18°German water hardness (corresponds to 180 mg of CaO/l)

EXAMPLE 8

The detergents from Examples 4 to 7 are subjected to a washing test andtested for their secondary detergency. This is carried out by washing 5standard fabrics together with 4.5 kg of ballast fabric 25 times, andafter every fifth wash determining the inorganic deposits on the fabricby incinerating the standard fabric. The results are given in Table 3.

-   Washing conditions: German water hardness 18°, Ca:Mg=5:1 (molar),    main wash only at 60° C., Miele Novotronic W917 machine, dose: 75 g    per washing cycle.

TABLE 3 Fabric incrustation [% ash] % ash after 25 washes Example 4Example 6 Example 5 Example 7 Terry (Vossen) 2.71 1.12 2.38 2.08 Cotton(Empa) 1.84 0.97 2.05 1.41 Cotton (WFK) 3.93 3.51 4.8 3.91 PE/Co (WFK)2.04 0.96 2.03 1.31 Double rib (WFK) 1.79 0.78 1.51 1.41 Average value2.46 1.47 2.55 2.02

It is clear, both from the individual and also from the averageincrustation values, that significantly lower incrustations were foundfor the pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient accordingto the invention in Examples 6 and 7, compared with the prior art(Examples 4 and 5).

The following Examples 9 and 10 refer to the preparation and testing ofa dishwashing composition.

For this purpose, two automatic dishwashing detergents in granular formwere prepared in a Lödige plowshare mixer by mixing the ingredients inthe order given in Table 4.

TABLE 4 Compositions of Examples 9 and 10 Content (% by weight) Example10 Ingredients Example 9 (comparison) Cleaning additive 31 — SKS-6 — 20Sodium carbonate 19.5 23.5 Nonionic¹⁾ 1.5 1.5 Trisodium citrate 30 30dihydrate Sodium polycarboxylate²⁾ — 7 TAED³⁾ 5 5 Enzymes 3 3 Sodiumpercarbonate 10 10 ¹⁾Genapol 2909 D, commercial product from Hoechst,Frankfurt am Main ²⁾Sokalan PA 25 Cl, commercial product from BASF,Ludwigshafen ³⁾TAED 3873, commercial product from Hoechst, Frankfurt amMain

The cleaning composition additive used in Example 9 is the one accordingto Table 1, Example 3. Its composition corresponds approximately to thetotal of SKS-6 and sodium polycarboxylate in Example 10.

The laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient according to theinvention in the present dishwashing detergent formulation of Example 9is notable for a particularly high detergency (testing according to DIN44990). It is particularly suitable for removing burned-on andproteinaceous food residues and tea stains. It also displays excellentdispersing behavior, in particular toward fiber-containing foodresidues.

Furthermore, the laundry and cleaning detergents ingredient according tothe invention in the present dishwashing detergent formulation preventsdamage to glass and decoration.

1. A pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergent ingredient whichconsists of a reaction product obtained by depositing a solution of anacidic polycarboxylate onto an alkaline silicate and drying.
 2. Apulverulent laundry arid cleaning detergent ingredient as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the reaction product has a weight ratio of alkalinesilicate to acidic polycarboxylate of (40 to 1):1.
 3. A pulverulentlaundry and cleaning detergent ingredient as claimed in claim 1, whereinthe reaction product has a weight ratio of alkaline silicate to acidicpolycarboxylate of (20 to 2):1.
 4. A pulverulent laundry and cleaningdetergent ingredient as claimed in claim 1, wherein the polycarboxylateused is an unneutralized or only partially neutralized homo- and/orcopolymer of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, poly-asparticacid, saccharic acid and/or other monomers.
 5. A pulverulent laundry andcleaning detergent ingredient as claimed in claim 1, which consists offrom 50 to 98% by weight of an alkaline silicate and from 2 to 50% byweight of a copolymer of from 10 to 70% by weight of maleic acid, from20 to 85% by weight of acrylic acid and/or methacrylic acid, from 1 to50% by weight of vinyl acetate and from 0 to 10% by weight of othermonomers having a degree of neutralization of from 0 to 70%.
 6. Apulverulent laundry and cleaning detergent ingredient as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the alkaline silicate has the formula xM₂O ySiO₂ zH₂Ohaving a molar ratio of SiO₂ to M₂O of (1 to 3.5):1 where z=0 to 4 andM=Na and/or K, which may contain up to 1% by weight of other elementsand/or compounds.
 7. A pulverulent laundry and cleaning detergentingredient as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alkaline silicate isamorphous sodium silicate.
 8. A pulverulent laundry and cleaningdetergent ingredient as claimed in claim 1, wherein the alkalinesilicate is a crystalline sodium silicate.
 9. A pulverulent laundry andcleaning detergent ingredient as claimed in claim 8, wherein thealkaline silicate is a crystalline sodium phyllosilicate.
 10. Apulverulent laundry and cleaning detergent ingredient as claimed inclaim 6, wherein the other elements and/or compounds are selected fromthe group consisting of aluminum, titanium, iron, calcium, magnesium,their compounds, and mixtures thereof.
 11. A process for preparing thepulverulent laundry and cleaning detergent ingredient according to claim1 which comprises depositing a solution of an acidic polycarboxylatesolution onto an alkaline silicate and drying.
 12. A process as claimedin claim 11, wherein from 2 to 60 parts by weight of acidicpolycarboxylate solution are deposited onto 100 parts by weight ofalkaline silicate.
 13. A process as claimed in claim 11, wherein from 10to 40 parts by weight of acidic polycarboxylate solution are depositedonto 100 parts by weight of alkaline silicate.
 14. The process asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the solution of the polycarboxylate is aneutralized or only partially neutralized homo- or a copolyrmer of anacid selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylicacid, maleic acid, polyaspartic acid, and saccharic acid and/or othermonomers.
 15. A process as claimed in claim 11, wherein thepolycarboxylate solution is deposited onto the alkaline silicate in asolids mixer which contains a liquid-spraying device.
 16. A process asclaimed in claim 11, wherein the reaction product of alkaline silicateand acidic polycarboxylate solution is dried at temperatures of from 40to 150° C. for a period of from 5 to 120 minutes.
 17. A process forusing the reaction product of an alkaline silicate and an acidicpolycarboxylate according to claim 1, wherein said reaction product isobtained by contacting the alkaline silicate with a solution of theacidic polycarboxylate and drying to provide a dry reaction product,said process further comprising combining said dry reaction product withat least one component selected from the group consisting of surfactant,bleach, washing alkali, dispersant, enzyme, builder, polyelectrolyte andsodium triphosphate.
 18. The process of claim 17, wherein said combiningis a dry mixing process.
 19. A laundry detergent made by the process ofclaim
 17. 20. A cleaning detergent made by the process of claim
 17. 21.A dishwashing detergent made by the process of claim 17.